Entrepreneurial Alumni

David Mantle

David Mantle

Posted 01 February 2016

New York Program

September 2007 Intake


What is Stashbee?
We have recently launched Stashbee which is a community marketplace where people can book secure storage space in the homes, lofts and garages of trusted homeowners who live nearby.

- It's safe: Our hosts are background checked.
- It's great value: £5 per box, per month (you won't find a better price).
- It's easy: We match you with someone nearby.

I run the business with my business partner Anthony and we are working full time on getting the platform up and running. At present we are both working on all aspects of the business, but I guess I am focusing on boosting Stashbee's sales whilst also developing the operations and infrastructure.

What inspired you to set it up?
We both experienced the nightmare and ridiculous expense of using old school self-storage. Driving miles out of town, dealing with grumpy staff who hate their customers - we knew there had to be a better way. We set out to build a service which would help bring down the cost of storage whilst also helping people with unused space make some spare cash.

How did you go about setting it up?
We are still in the early stages of setting up Stashbee and still have a long way to go. Hopefully through the process of developing a solid platform and set of learnings we will be in a good place to grow. We would like to see Stashbee as a global player in the sharing economy. It would be great to rub shoulders with the likes of Uber and Airbnb, shaking up the storage industry in the process.

Any words of advice/wisdom or encouragement?
First my favorite quote – "and then there is the most dangerous risk of all – the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later." – Randy Komisar

My three bits of advice:
- If you're thinking about setting something up... get on with it! You will learn more than you can imagine and the personal satisfaction is huge.
- Surround yourself with likeminded people who help you achieve your dreams.
- There has never been a better time e.g. the tools available, the reach through social media and the money available for Investment.

Check us out at www.stashbee.com or follow us on facebook.